Winter 2017 Lookbook

Painted Dreams

Read the Press Release

With a distinct painterly narrative, the Winter 17 collection delves into the story of female portraiture, and the characters portrayed within. High necks and ruffles observed from the subjects of Elizabethan and Baroque paintings give an air of regal majesty. Prints constructed from floral motifs and inspired by art nouveau, bring an ornamental quality with stylised skill. Embroideries in a variety of mediums echo the delicate filagree of turn of the century fans and elements borrowed from the bizarre yet beautiful world of surrealism give the collection an unexpected twist.

Precise and measured, the waisted silhouettes acknowledge 1950’s couture whilst giving a new, polished edge. A play on the feminine and masculine is a constant thread throughout the collection; fan like skirts and dresses of a demure length sit alongside boyish trousers, tailcoats and dinner shirt detailing.

A soft colour palette of periwinkle blue, iris, mallow, opal, rose quartz and aubergine reflect the dreamlike qualities of the painted muses. Crisp daywear, constructed from precise pleats and panels decorated with geisha lips, stars, hearts and florals lead into bold printed stretch crepe and silk shantung dresses. Textures collide when bold knitwear is paired with pleated sequin and Italian textured jacquard skirts. The delicacy and transparency of the fabrics together with subtle cut outs introduce a lightness and seduction. The relaxed, playful opulence culminates in the eveningwear; with shimmering sequins, glinting fil coupe, lustrous silk velvet and organza adorned with opal crystals.

"Our painted dreams evoke a world of fantasy and a feeling of optimism when we need it most." Alice Temperley, MBE